AN aviation company has confirmed that flying taxis are no longer a distant dream – and they could arrive sooner than you think.
Joby Aviation CEO JoeBen Bevirt said on Thursday that the company’s so-called air taxis are tantalizingly close to revolutionizing urban travel.
The aircraft can soar at 200 mph, cover 100 miles, and lift off like a helicopter — minus the deafening noise.
A recent test flight in Marina, California, near the company’s Santa Cruz headquarters, showcased the potential of this futuristic tech.
“We want to turn one- and two-hour trips into five minutes,” Bevirt told The Associated Press.
Joby’s air taxi is a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-electric aircraft that takes off and lands vertically, known in the industry as an eVTOL vehicle.
Silicon Valley rival Archer Aviation is also in the race, with United Airlines set to buy 200 of its flying taxis.
Archer CEO Adam Goldstein predicts a dramatic shift in cityscapes.
“You will see highways in the sky,” he said.
While Dubai may launch commercial flights by 2025, stricter U.S. regulations mean it could take longer stateside.
The first country that could see commercial air taxi flights is likely to be Dubai because of its relatively loose regulations on air transport, experts say.
The first flights could be as early as this year.
In the US, however, clearing Federal Aviation Administration regulatory hurdles could take years.
The FAA recently introduced a new aircraft category called powered lift, the first new category since helicopters debuted in the 1940s, paving the way for air taxis.
Powered lift operations include air taxis, cargo delivery and a variety of operations within urban and rural areas.
INTERNATIONAL RACE
It’s not just American companies that are eyeing the skies.
The global race for flying taxis
THE global race for flying taxis, or urban air mobility (UAM), is highly competitive, with numerous companies developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and related technologies.
The competition is driving rapid advancements in the field, and many players aim to launch commercial operations within the next few years.
As well as Wisk Aero, here are some of the prominent players in this space:
JOBY AVIATION – Santa Cruz, California, USA: Joby Aviation is one of the leading companies in the eVTOL space. It has received significant investment from Toyota and has partnered with Uber. Joby aims to launch an aerial ridesharing service.
VOLOCOPTER – Bruchsal, Germany: Volocopter develops electric helicopters designed for urban air mobility. The Volocopter 2X and VoloCity are their flagship models. The company has conducted test flights in various cities, including Singapore and Dubai.
LILIUM – Munich, Germany: Lilium is developing the Lilium Jet, a five-seat eVTOL aircraft. The company aims to create a regional air mobility network. Lilium has raised substantial funding and has conducted several successful test flights.
ARCHER AVIATION – Palo Alto, California, USA: Archer is focused on developing a fully electric air taxi. The company has a partnership with United Airlines and plans to launch commercial operations by 2024.
EHANG – Guangzhou, China: EHang develops autonomous aerial vehicles (AAVs) for passenger and logistics transportation. The EHang 216 is a notable model that has been tested in various cities worldwide.
EMBRAERX (EVE AIR MOBILITY) – São José dos Campos, Brazil: Eve Air Mobility, a subsidiary of Embraer, is developing eVTOL aircraft and urban air traffic management solutions. The company aims to leverage Embraer’s aerospace expertise to advance UAM.
HYUNDAI URBAN AIR MOBILITY (SUPERNAL) – South Korea / USA: Hyundai is actively developing eVTOL aircraft through its Supernal division. The company envisions integrating air taxis into urban transportation networks.
BELL TEXTRON – Fort Worth, Texas, USA: Bell is developing the Nexus 4EX, an eVTOL aircraft designed for urban air mobility. Bell has a long history in helicopter manufacturing and aims to apply its expertise to the UAM sector.
China’s growing interest in flying taxis has even caught the attention of President-elect Donald Trump, who hinted at making futuristic vehicles a national priority.
“Just as the United States led the automotive revolution in the last century, I want to ensure that America, not China leads the revolution in air mobility,” he said in 2023.
“It’s a tricky business to develop a whole new class of vehicles,” Alan Lim of Alton Aviation told Associated Press.
“Right now, we’re crawling, not running—Jetsons-level reality is still years away.”
Despite the hurdles, investors are betting big.
Archer raised $430 million last year, while Joby’s backers, including a Japanese automaker, have poured in nearly $900 million.
APJoby Aviation employees assemble parts for one of its air taxis in California[/caption] APA Joby technician works on one of its air taxi bodies[/caption]Combined, eVTOL companies have raised $13 billion over five years, attracting talent from Tesla, SpaceX, and Wisk Aero.
“It is going to be like a crawl, walk, run situation. Right now, I think we are still crawling. We are not going to have the Jetsons-type reality where everyone will be flying around everywhere in the next two to three years,” said Lim.
Joby envisions air taxis ferrying passengers from New York City airports to Manhattan in just 10 minutes.
Joby previously tested a fully electric version of the craft in late 2023 over a much shorter trip across New York City.
The company also added that the air taxi could cover “99% of all trips taken today across New York City’s five boroughs.”
Another air taxi company, Eve Air Mobility, hopes to launch its four-passenger flying taxi in 2026.
APA Joby air taxi flies next to a typical gas-powered helicopter[/caption]In October 2024, CEO of Eve Air Mobility Johann Bordais told the Sun that Eve has already racked up 30 customers – building an order book of 2,900 eVTOL vehicles – the largest pre-order tally in the industry.
“We have the biggest pre-order book in the industry, with a total of 2,900 vehicles pre-sold,” said Bordais.
While eVTOLs are advancing quickly, building the infrastructure to support them remains a challenge. This includes creating new air traffic management systems, vertiports for takeoff and landing, and charging stations for electric taxis.
Although the cost of air taxis is projected to be initially higher than that of cabs, that could drop over time.
For now, the race is on to make flying taxis a reality.
“We’re not at Jetsons-level reality yet,” said Alton Aviation’s Alan Lim. “But the crawl is turning into a walk.”
APAircraft like these could soon creat aerial highways over major American cities[/caption] Read More Details
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